- Takes place on Christmas Eve- Years before the previous two games- Mob boss Black Mask will give a fortune for Batman’s head- Top assassins and supervillains from the DC Comics universe are out to get Batman- Cops on the take from the mob join the manhunt as well- Batman needs to outsmart his enemies, find out why Black Mask wants him dead, and prove to what good cops that he’s on their side

General

- Porting Arkham City to Wii U let the team get familiar with Unreal 3- Doing a prequel lets the team carve a unique territory if Rockstar were to move the Arkham timeline ahead down the road- Rocksteady’s project is tightly under wraps- Younger Batman also “gives us the opportunity to refresh things a bit”- Combat system still in place- Will have “new layers, new opportunities, and new tactics”- New enemy types- Batman not as finely honed as in the previous games- Won’t control the Batwing directly- Batwing will figure into story sequences and acts as a universe-appropriate form of fast travel- Has the traditional predator mode in which players swing from perch to perch, glide kick, string guys upside-down, etc.- New remote claw that is like the grappler in Just Cause 2- Batman targets two objects and fires out a claw- This hooks into the first object and launches another claw and rope to the second object- Can then pull the two objects together- Use this to knock enemies together, slam heavy objects into foes, string objects or people under a perch- Can string up an explosive barrel under a perch, lure enemies with a sonic batarang, then cut the rope with a normal batarang, dropping the explosive on their heads- Team knows Black Mask isn’t the most popular villain- Old Gotham is only half of the game world- Another new entire is across the bridge called New Gotham- New Gotham is classier and has much taller skyscrapers- New zone doubles the size of the game world- Players can dismantle the hacked tower network- Towers emit a jamming signal that prevents the Batwing from flying into the area, meaning no fast travel- It also halts Batman’s sensors from placing points of interest on the map- Taking down the towers are varied and require all of Batman’s navigation, puzzle solving, and combat skills- Some can be taken down quickly, others must be returned to later with an upgrade- “Crime in Progress”: ex – saving some cops from a group of thugs, rescuing a snitch from being tossed off a roof- Activities give Batman a chance for experience point bonuses- Completing side quests also contributes to the GCPD’s understanding and appreciation of Batman- They will begin to know Batman and which side he stands on based on how much you take on the optional missions- Most Wanted system gives players a chance to go after villains outside of the core storyline- These optional side missions can be tackled when you discover them- Many optional missions offer upgrades- Batman’s butler Alfred may notice that he had a tough time in that situation and give him a new gadget- Dark Knight system is slightly more behind the scenes, though it’s still important- Dark Knight system provides a lengthy string of tasks that slowly goes up in difficulty as the game progresses- The team wants to avoid boring tutorials while still training players to be masters of predator and combat systems- Complete a certain number of counters or silent takedowns to receive XP rewards or a specific upgrade- Dark Knight system doesn’t replace challenge mode- Team wants to make challenges more meaningful

Game demo

- Takes place about an hour into the game- Batman is perched above Jezebel plaza- Black Mask’s assassins have stirred up the local thugs- No towering walls keeping villains in check and many citizens call Arkham City home since there isn’t a prison- Amusement Mile hasn’t been flooded- Batman is looking to find out why Black Mask is trying to kill him- Batman decides to go to the party to track down Penguin, who hears about everything- Eventually, Penguin gives some intel on a murder at Lacey Towers- Claw grips Batman’s ankle and drags him out of the room before he can finish his questioning- Batman reaches for the door, but his arm is stomped by a mysterious figure- Batman ends up suspended upside-down from the rafters- Deathstroke circles Batman with a drawn sword- Batman blocks and disarms Deathstroke, using the sword to cut himself free- Thanks to Penguin’s tip, Batman goes to Lacey Towers- The cops say it’s a double homicide- One victim is supposedly Black Mask- Inside the apartment, Batman sees Black Mask’s girlfriend strung up on a chandelier- Black Mask’s assumed body is laying face up across the room- Batman goes into first-person detective vision to examine the situation

You can find more information and screenshots in this month’s Game Informer.

Batman: Arkham Origins is set on Christmas Eve, years before Arkham City and Arkham Asylum, where mob boss Black Mask has it in for Batman. And he’s not the only one. Top super villains from the DC Comics universe are out to catch the world’s greatest detective. And even cops have joined the manhunt. Batman’s goal is to find out why Black Mask wants him dead, and to prove to the good cops that he’s on their side.

The game will offer a familiar combat system with “new layers, new opportunities, new tactics,” and new enemy types.

The Batwing will make a return, but Batman won’t control it directly. It will figure into story sequences and acts as a universe-appropriate form of fast travel.

New to the game is a remote claw similar to the Grappler in Just Cause 2. Batman can target two objects and fire out a claw. One claw will hook to the first object and another onto the second. Batman can then pull both objects together. Tactics for which this can be used include knocking enemies together, slamming heavy objects into foes, etc.

Half of the game is made up of ‘Old Gotham’. Though there is an entirely new area of the game, across the bridge, called ‘New Gotham’, which is described as much classier and with much taller skyscrapers. The new zone is also said to double the size of the game world.

Players will be able to dismantle a hacked tower network, which consists of towers emitting a jamming signal preventing the Batwing from flying into the area, meaning fast travel is not an option. It also stops Batman’s sensors from placing points of interest on the map. Tower take-downs vary and require all of Batman’s skills. Some can be taken down quickly and easily, while others require upgrades.

The game will offer “Crime in Progress” moments where Batman can, for example, save cops from a group of thugs, etc. This, among other activities, will earn Batman experience points and respect from the Gotham City Police Department.

A “Most Wanted” system will allow players to go after villains outside of the main storyline. These missions can be tackled as you discover them .

Some missions will offer upgrades. If you had a tough time with a certain mission, Batman’s butler Alfred might offer you a new gadget.

A new “Dark Knight” system will provide the player a string of tasks that slowly increases in difficulty as they progress through the game. This won’t replace challenge mode, however.

Arkham Origins is in development at Warner Bros. Montreal. The series’ original developer, Rocksteady Studios, is working on another project, which is currently under wraps. According to the magazine, though, a Warner Bros. Montreal sequel would carve a unique territory for Rocksteady, if it ever decided to move forward in the Arkham series timeline.

Batman: Akrham Origins Blackgate - PS Vita, 3DS

Batman: Akrham Origins Blackgate is a 2.5D, Metroid-style Batman game for PS Vita and 3DS in development at Armature, the studio behind the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on PS Vita, who were put in charge as they’re familiar with that gameplay style.

The game is set after the conclusion of Origins on consoles. At the Blackgate Penitentiary, located on an isolated island, a prison uprising has occurred. Batman ventures to the facility to put a stop to the riot.

The game features a 2D animated Batman moving through a side-scrolling game world where he’ll battle enemies, pick up new gear, travel through interconnected passages, and learn prison secrets.

Unlike the console Arkham games, Blackgate does not focus on leveling up abilities. Instead, it stays true to the formula of its sub-genre. All of his improvements will come through pick-ups and upgrades. The team wanted to give players a greater sense of collection.

The game is mostly set on a 2D plane, though it will take advantage of the three-dimensionality offered by the environments. Batman will explore, fight, and interact in both the foreground and background. For example, Batman can grapple up to a gargoyle on a background balcony from the foreground.

Combat is similar to the console Arkham games. It uses the Freeflow combat system, and button taps are used to attack, counter, and use gadgets. Gadgets include the Batarang, to stun enemies or hit distant objects, Line Launcher, to cross wide gaps, and a variation of the Explosive Gel, which allows you to shoot from a launcher onto spots around the screen, enabling ‘entertaining’ take-downs like chandelier dropping.

Batman will be able to see the sight lines of his enemies to know whether they can see him or not.

Blackgate is split into various sections, each accessible once you figure out a way outside the prison. There are no save rooms as you can manually save at your leisure. The game uses a modern checkpoint system, and you can defeat its bosses in any order. Similar to the console games, it will also have a detective mode—if an enemy is green, he hasn’t seen you, if he’s red, he’s onto you. This mode can also be used to uncover secretes, clues, and analyze situations.

Press Release:Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, the next instalments of the blockbuster Batman: Arkham videogame franchise. Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 system, the Wii U system, and Windows PC. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate™ will be available for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system, and PlayStation Vita handheld entertainment system. Both titles are scheduled to release worldwide 25th October, 2013.

Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a 2.5-D game developed by Armature Studio that brings the Batman Arkham experience for the first time to Nintendo and Sony handheld systems. A companion game to Batman: Arkham Origins, players can continue the storyline of the console version and discover more details of the Dark Knight’s past.

“Batman: Arkham is a huge triple-A videogame franchise and we are delighted to expand the experience with Batman: Arkham Origins,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “WB Games Montréal has an incredibly talented team building upon Rocksteady’s award-winning gameplay and technology to deliver a deep, immersive, quality experience fans will love.”

“WB Games Montréal is honoured to have the opportunity to create Batman: Arkham Origins, a new chapter in this amazing franchise” said Reid Schneider, Vice President and Executive Producer, WB Games Montréal. “We are huge fans of the franchise and are committed to creating an experience that offers players more of what they love, as well as the chance to play as a younger Batman within a fresh storyline and expanded world.”

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE:5/1/2013DEVELOPER:UbisoftPUBLISHER:UbisoftGENRE:ShooterFar Cry® 3 Blood Dragon is THE Kick-Ass Cyber Shooter taking place on a bizarre open-world island crawling with evil. Welcome to an 80’s VHS vision of the future. The year is 2007 and you are Sargent Rex Colt, a Mark IV Cyber Commando who’s fighting against a cyborg army gone rogue. Your mission: get the girl, kill the baddies, and save the world. Experience every cliché of a VHS era vision of a nuclear future, where cyborgs, blood dragons, mutants, and Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, Navy Seals) collide. Playing Far Cry® 3 Blood Dragon doesn't require a copy of Far Cry® 3.

It's Official; Battlefield 4 is releasing Fall 2013. We posted screenshots yesterday as well as the news that the new Frostbite 3 engine will be powering the war game. Chances are that Battlefield 4 will be a launch/release title for next-gen consoles is high seeing as no specific release date is declared, but to curb your gaming appetite we have two new screenshots to add to the gallery, a tv spot, and a look at 17 minutes of gameplay. Enjoy. Pre-Order Now!

Official Press Release: REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Only in Battlefield™ can players go through a building instead of around it or eject from a jet and take out the enemy mid-free fall. Those incredible gameplay moments that blur the line between game and glory can only be created by players, and occur only in Battlefield. DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced Battlefield 4™, a genre-defining action blockbuster launching in Fall 2013. Powered by the advanced technology of DICE's proprietary Frostbite™ 3 engine, Battlefield 4 offers players a glimpse into the future of interactive entertainment — a future that is more human, dramatic and believable than anything before it. With more than 65 million players worldwide, the Battlefield series has consistently been praised by critics for its world-class multiplayer gameplay, and is recognized as the only game that allows players to own land, sea and air. Battlefield 4 is a seminal moment for the Battlefield series as more award-winning, multiplayer game design elements are incorporated into the single-player campaign. In single-player, gamers will experience huge environments, a playground of destruction, access to an arsenal of vehicles and the ability to direct squad mates. Taking a page from the social aspect of multiplayer gaming, the single-player mode will now track players' progress, adding an element of persistence and friendly competition to the campaign. The game made its world debut today with a staggering 17-minute gameplay demo, available for view at Battlefield.com. The demo begins as the player — Recker — opens his eyes to discover that he is trapped in a rapidly sinking car with three of his squad mates. Shooting the window is the only way out. Panic and fear are pushed aside as Recker makes a difficult decision — take the shot and recover the intel but risk that not everyone will survive. The emotional demo features a cast of characters unrivaled in interactive entertainment. Players will learn how to work together in both the Campaign and Multiplayer, issuing squad orders and comparing achievements in both experiences. Adventure and Competition will unfold through a series of beautifully crafted locations constructed with some of the best art and sound design in modern shooters. All of this is only possible with Frostbite 3 — a new standard for interactive entertainment in 2013. "We are so humbled and proud to debut Battlefield 4 on a global stage with simultaneous events in San Francisco and Stockholm. To be this early in development, and to already be so polished is a huge achievement for the DICE team and reflection of their passion and commitment to driving the franchise forward. Today's demo was just the beginning -- we have so much more in store," said Patrick Soderlund, Executive Vice President, EA Games Label. "It is thrilling to witness peoples' reaction when seeing the game for the first time. It really makes you realize that we are at the beginning of a whole new era for gaming. As artists and craftspeople, we are focused on creating a dynamic, open design that brings people together with amazing, surprising unscripted moments that they'll talk about for days. That's the beauty of Battlefield." By pre-ordering Battlefield 4 at any participating retail outlet, gamers will receive a Premium expansion pack at no additional cost*. DICE also announced today Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe, an Origin™ exclusive special edition that includes the base game and bonus in-game digital items. Players that pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe* on Origin will also receive the Premium expansion pack as well as access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta.

Some of you might be snarking at this article as outdated as Marvel was set to release this 10-disc set last year. The collection contained every Marvel-produced superhero movie so far (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Avengers (Capt, Thor and Avengers in Blu-ray 3D), plus a bonus disc. The problem was someone had forgotten to license the Tessaract-holding suitcase from the movie so the Avengers Assembled never assembled...

Now the suitcase has been altered, the exclusive props and replica files have been added, the extras have been set (“Never-before-seen deleted scenes, extended scenes, featurettes, animatics and more from each film”). At $150 this culmination of superhero scripts is a deal and a half.

Guillermo Del Toro is a giant among men when it comes to screenplay writing and overall creation of ideas. He's a huge talent with his interests set on HP Lovecraft's "Of Mountains and Madness" ad he's credited with many hit titles like Hellboy and Mimic. At WonderCon 2013, Del Toro showed off footage from Pacific Rim, which is out this year, but also briefly discussed his filming schedule. He'll direct Crimson Peak first and then he will be working on Dark Universe, aka Justice League Dark, a DC Comics team-up film featuring some of the company’s darker heroes: Swamp Thing, the Demon, Deadman, the Spectre and Zatanna.

Del Toro revealed he’s recently finished the film’s “Bible,” will soon be announcing the screenwriter who’ll work from that bible, and that the film will star John Constantine (the blonde version) who is tasked with recruiting the other members of the team.

Del Toro said,"On Justice League Dark, or Dark Universe, what we’re doing is we finished the bible. Then we’re going to start the screenplay with a writer we hope we can announce very soon. What I’m doing is the lead character that guides us through that is Constantine. Blonde. He is basically trying to recruit these guys. On Etrigan, I’m using Jason Blood in the time of Merlin. We get to their origin through the story. We don’t make the origin story at the top. We find it out as they each have mysteries to solve. Swamp Thing is at peace with who he is, but Deadman still needs to figure out who shot him. It’s all woven in. When I was a kid, my two favorite characters in the whole DC Universe were Etrigan and Swamp Thing, so I’m in heaven."

The fact that the script hasn't been written and a definite title hasn't been declared just shows where Justice League Dark Universe sets in Del Toro's future timeline. The visually poetic director is infamous for sandbagging projects for years closely editing every detail over many years. If Pacific Rim is a monumental hit it could be an incentive for him to streamline some of his other announced (and not so announced) projects.

Many people just did not believe that Far Cry 3 would have a 1980's themed arcade shooter with a sci-fi twist. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is indeed a thing. Thanks to a NeoGAF poster these screens are available for us to shove in the face of the non-believers. You can visit the website here where you can enter the Konami code and destroy the whole site. You can watch the trailer, and you can also view the achievement list.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has not been officially announced, priced, dated, or mocked up for any platform, however we're led to believe this is an arcade title.

Call of Duty fans are set to receive another premium offering of Downloadable Content with Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising on April 16. The game`s second, epic DLC pack of the year from award-winning studio Treyarch and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, will be available first, exclusively on Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft beginning on April 16, with other platforms to follow. Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising will include four new exotic multiplayer maps, plus an exciting new Zombies experience called "Mob of the Dead" that takes players to Alcatraz with four of the actors behind some of Hollywood`s most iconic mobsters, including Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen.

"With Uprising, the team has really outdone itself again," said Mark Lamia, Treyarch`s Studio Head. "In addition to creating four amazing new multiplayer maps, the Studio has been hard at work on the Zombies front to surpass what we accomplished with `Call of the Dead.` What they`ve done this time around is nothing Zombies fans have seen before - and if you don`t believe me, just wait until you get into Purgatory."

Following tradition of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops fan-favorite Zombies mode "Call of the Dead," Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising`s wildly creative new "Mob of the Dead" Zombies experience finds the four prohibition-era mobsters, Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al "The Weasel" Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca (Palminteri), and Michael "Finn" O`Leary (Madsen) serving time in Alcatraz Prison, only to discover that being behind bars is the least of their problems. With plans to break out of Alcatraz foiled by the rise of the undead, the quartet of inmates will have to lean on their mob-derived skills with firearms, blunt instruments and improvised weaponry as they battle the zombies infesting and overrunning the island. In order to survive, players must work their way through the steel cells and aging concrete buildings while fighting off a multitude of zombified prisoners and guards trapped on the island with them. Additionally, if a player becomes an unfortunate victim, "Mob of the Dead`s" new feature known as "Purgatory" sends players into the afterlife. This new twist on Zombies gameplay is ripe with its own set of objectives, and offers fans a truly new and unique experience.

Uprising also delivers another four new, exotic and diverse multiplayer maps set around the globe for fans to jump into. "Magma" is a modern Japanese village with volcanic eruptions carving multiple paths throughout the town. "Encore" takes place in the aftermath of a deserted London music festival and leaves numerous opportunities for run-and-gun, close quarters combat. "Vertigo" is a futuristic high rise in India housing a high-tech lab featuring dizzying vistas and multi-tiered pathways. Finally, "Studio" is a contemporary remake of "Firing Range," a fan-favorite multiplayer map from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops. "Studio" is a Hollywood movie back lot with a variety of cinematic themes that range from Sci-Fi to the Old West.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprisingwill be available first, exclusively on Xbox Live for 1200 Microsoft Points on April 16. The Uprising DLC Map Pack is also included in the Call of Duty: Black Ops II DLC Season Pass*, where fans can purchase all four epic DLC Map Packs planned for the year, and also receive the Nuketown Zombies bonus map, and an exclusive in-game calling card as part of the discounted bundle offered at a suggested retail price of $49.99 or 4000 Microsoft Points.

After Sony unveiled the Playstation 4 the ominous sound of defeat seemed to overshadow Microsoft.An April event was scheduled by Microsoft to showcase their new console but was pushed back to May. We already know that Microsoft has dev-kits out and about with custom zebra printed cases and controllers; so that if leaked images surface Microsoft can track the leak. There are also reports that the next Xbox will have dual APUs.

Rumours have spread since the beginning of 2013 that the next Xbox would require constant online connection but now Kotaku has two more sources that can be added to the fold. The sources claim that Project Durango; the codename for the next console, will have to have internet connection to start games and apps but will be able to tolerate dropped connections.

The source told Kotaku, "Unless something has changed recently, Durango consumer units must have an active internet connection to be used."

"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."

The PS4 will not require an online connection to start or run games, Sony has confirmed.No gaming console ever has.

This rumour centers around a feature that is definitely a deal-breaker for most gamers so Microsoft needs to take careful consideration with this. If indeed this is a huge sodium overload then all could be well as the next Xbox is speculated to up-to-par to Sony's PS4.

What do you think? Would you buy the next Xbox console if you are forced into chains with your internet provider?